


Tongues in Leash

by SockMunchies



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Abandonment, Crying, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Grief/Mourning, I Made Myself Cry, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Loss of Trust, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Blind Betrayal, Quotations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 05:38:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14278056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SockMunchies/pseuds/SockMunchies
Summary: "Ah, the good fortune of kings. Licensed to say and do whatever they please!""No, they are with me. But they keep their tongues in leash."-Antigone, Scene II_________________________________________________________________________________Erin no longer wishes to be in the company of Elder Arthur Maxson. No matter how hard he tries, he will no longer have her trust or support.Arthur needs to find a way to mend his broken relationship with Erin, before he loses her for good.





	Tongues in Leash

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy. This was kind of "spur of the moment" so it may or may not be good. 
> 
> Nevertheless I sincerely hope you like it.

She sat at the bar of the mess hall and took small sips of her water. Her head hung down between her shoulders as she contemplated her life.

Erin was only 23, placed into this god forsaken world by force. She had no decision in the matter, all she was able to do was make the best of a bad situation. 

The numerous scars on her perfect skin told a story of death, battle, and honor. Each individual one holding their own important story.

Erin's lips perked up into a short lived smile as she stared into the void, mind filled but at the same time empty. 

Tapping her foot on the stool, Erin began to grow impatient. Of what, she did not know. But the familiar feeling persisted as she grew a scowl on her lips.

They were black, with hints of red. Whether it was blood, or just makeup, was left to be determined by those who were fortunate enough to kiss her. 

Falling across her nose, her freckles taunted those who looked at her, and dared those who challenged her. Daring in a sense that they wouldn’t guess an innocent girl be so proficient at using weapons. 

The thought had her laughing to herself as she took another drink of her water. She placed the now empty can down on the bar and stirred up from her seat. 

Paladins and Knights alike soluted her as she walked down the hall and into the command deck.

At this point, she was wandering aimlessly around the ship she now called home. The Prydwen being the only safe place she had left in the wastes. 

The downside? She had to share the same air as a certain Elder, Elder Arthur Maxson. 

In private, his name was always "jackass". But when Erin talked to him, he was Arthur.

After that fateful night at the bunker, she could not bring herself to call that waste of humanity by his title, even if it meant she got into trouble. Which she frequently did.

Which to Erin, who had done her research, made no sense. She no longer fell in the chain of command. Arthur could no longer bark orders at her, and expect her to follow. And she no longer was required to call him by his title of Elder. 

Erin guessed it was just his sense of foolish pride which lead him to get angry. Angry at Erin for not using his proper title. 

This reminded Erin of her favorite book. A Greek play written by Sophocles in the ancient times of the Greek and Roman. 

Earlier that year, she had found a mostly undamaged copy of the play and began to read it. 

She began to wander on the contents of the play, but her mind was stopped when she heard the disgusting voice of the man she hated most. 

"Sentinel, do you need something?" Arthur called to her, as he stood in front of his window to the Commonwealth.

Erin looked around, confused, then realized she had been standing in front of Arthur for some time while she pondered her book. 

"No, sorry I'm just...looking around." Erin said, unconvincing, as she turned and climbed up the ladder into her room. 

Arthur grew a face of both concern and question as he watched her body climb the ladder, and turn into her quarters. 

#

>   
>  Scene II
> 
> Antigone: Creon, what more do you want than my death?
> 
> Creon: Nothing. That gives me everything.
> 
> Antigone: Then I beg you: Kill me.  
>  This talking is a great weariness: Your words  
>  Are distasteful to me, and I am sure that mine  
>  Seem so to you. And yet they should not seem so:  
>  I should have praise and honor for what I have done.  
>  All these men here would praise me  
>  Were there lips not frozen shut with fear of you.  
>  _[Bitterly]_ Ah, the good fortune of kings,  
>  Licensed to say and do whatever they please!
> 
> Creon: You are alone in that opinion.
> 
> Antigone: No, they are with me. But they keep their tongues in leash.
> 
> Creon: Maybe. But you are guilty, and they are not.
> 
> Antigone: There is no guilt in rev-  
> 

Erin paused as Arthur entered her room, slowly and cautiously as to not alarm her.

Arthur stood above her as she closed the dusty book, fast enough so he couldn't see what she was reading.

"What's that?" Arthur asked, slowly again, trying to look between Erin's fingers which covered the title.

"A book." Erin quipped at him, as she tightened her grip on the spine as she held it shut, her hand covering the title.

Arthur sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, searching for any words to make Erin trust him.

He knew that Erin disliked him very much, and refused to call him by his title for a reason.

Danse was not only her commanding officer, but her very close friend and, at least what Arthur thought, maybe even lover.

And he ordered her to kill him, like any other scum in the Commonwealth. 

Afterwords, she dissapeared for months before she appeared again at the Prydwen. 

And after a mental check from Knight-Captain Cade, she was deemed unfit to go back into the feild for some time. At least a year, and even that wasn't certain.

"I think you need to leave, Arthur." Erin said quietly as she looked past him and to the metal door which stood open.

Arthur sighed and contemplated his next words carefully. An interesting feeling gathering deep in his chest and abdomen as he looked down upon Erin, who only scowled at him in return. 

His mouth hung open for a second while he reached for words, but they would not come. Erin stood up in a fit and threw the book down onto the bed.

"I said leave!" Erin shouted at Arthur, who winced back at the reaction. 

Her face, now a deep crimson red, grew saddened as Arthur stood in his battle coat. 

The makeup she wore smeared as trails of wetness fell down her face, as she grew a mix of deep feelings in a matter of seconds.

"I said fucking leave! Now!" Erin's voice cracked at the last word as she choked back tears, and kept herself from breaking down completely. 

Arthur took in a breath and turned towards the door, making it to the frame before pausing.

He looked back and saw Erin, sitting back down on her bed sobbing with metal between her hands. What is was she was holding, Arthur did not know. However, he did know she was furiously crying into the metal thing and gripping it with all her strength.

Arthur again hung his jaw open slightly in anticipation of words, but again none came, and he slowly closed the metal door behind him as he somberly made his way back to the command deck.

#

Erin gripped onto Danse's holotags, crying into them as she used to do to him. She imaged him, sitting beside her and holding her, comforting her, like he used to do when they were alone. 

She imaged him holding her gently as they kissed for the first time, in front of Goodneighbor when she confessed her feelings towards him. And he accepted.

He held onto her tightly, but with gentleness she had never received from anyone else. Not even Nate had held her like that.

She imagined them drinking together, and then having stupid conversations in the morning after. As they sat naked in the Hotel Rexford, only covered by a thin blanket and each other’s limbs. 

Her love for him was something Erin had never felt before. Even with Nate, who made her feel happier than she had ever been before. She loved him. Now he was gone, and she still lived with the guilt of being the one to have put him down.

Like any other Commonwealth scum she had killed. Danse still laid there, cold and unmoving on the bunker floor. Most likely being eaten by some Commonwealth creature, or being looted by a fucking scavenger. 

She loved him. And it was _his_ fault. 

Her sobs turned to soft crying and heavy breathing after what seemed like hours had passed. Erin's mind still pondered on memories of Danse, and hateful thoughts of Arthur. 

What was she to do now? Now that she no longer had the solace offered by Danse. Now that she only had hatred left in her body. 

#

Erin stirred up from her bed, Danse's holotags in grip, and started out the door. 

She ignored the solutes and congratulations of the Paladins and Knights on the ship as she made her way swiftly to the flight deck. 

Boarding a Vertibird, she took Danse's tags and placed them gently around her neck, now feeling some sort of comfort now.

"Where to?" The pilot asked, as he readied the bird for takeoff.

Erin sighed, pondered for a second, then answered "Sanctuary Hills. Other side of Concord."

The pilot gave a nod of readiness as the Virtibird started off. 

She wouldn't even think of coming back, never again.


End file.
